The present invention relates to information processing apparatuses and methods, and computer programs and, more particularly, to an information processing apparatus and method for recording data in different formats on a disk having a plurality of recording layers, and a computer program.
In recent years, many optical disks have been utilized as digital data recording/playback media. Such optical disks include, e.g., digital versatile disks (DVDs).
The DVDs have recently been further improved in capacity in order to record and play back high-definition (HD) images, serving as HD data. Specifically, e.g., Blu-ray discs using a blue laser beam have been developed. The Blu-ray discs use the shorter wavelength of a laser beam that allows the disc to record data at higher density. In addition, research is being conducted to develop multilayering of recording layers as another approach to realizing high-capacity disks. For example, the use of two recording layers in a disk remarkably increases the recording capacity of the disk.
Currently, there are different data recording formats for DVDs. The formats are broadly classified into three categories: a DVD format, a Blu-ray format, and an HD-DVD format.
The DVD format is used for recording and playback of many widespread DVD media. The Blu-ray format and the HD-DVD format, which are capable of performing high-density recording and playback using a blue laser having a shorter wavelength, are suitable for recording and playback of HD images, serving as HD data. Although HD data can be recorded on a disk using the DVD format, recordable time per disk is reduced. Data modulation processes, each of which is performed to generate data to be written to a disk, vary among those formats. As for playback of data, it is necessary to execute a data demodulation process adapted to the corresponding format. In other words, those formats are incompatible with each other.
For playback of respective pieces of content recorded in the above-described formats, therefore, it is necessary to perform processes suitable for playback sequences corresponding to the respective formats. For recording of data, a process according to a recording sequence depends on the recording format to be used.
Under the above-described circumstances that the different formats are available, it is necessary to provide a plurality of types of disks compliant with the respective formats every piece of content. A user selects and uses a disk according to the format compatible with their recording/playback apparatus.
Under the present circumstances that the penetration of the Blu-ray format and that of the HD-DVD format are not so high, many pieces of content are recorded in the conventional DVD format and are then distributed to users. In the future, however, many pieces of content would be recorded in the Blu-ray format and the HD-DVD format and be distributed to the users.
As for broadcasting content and content to be distributed to the users via the Internet, the share of HD image data content is gradually being increased. Therefore, a content recording process on the user side would be gradually shifted from the conventional DVD format to the Blu-ray format and the HD-DVD format.
In the present situation, however, most of recording/playback apparatuses possessed by the users are compatible with the DVD format. There are not so much users who have recording/playback apparatuses compatible with the Blu-ray format and the HD-DVD format. Unfortunately, therefore, a user having the apparatus compatible with the DVD format cannot play a piece of content recorded in the Blu-ray format or the HD-DVD format and a user having the apparatus compatible with the Blu-ray format or the HD-DVD format cannot play a piece of content recorded in the conventional DVD format.
One approach to solving the above-described problem is to realize a system capable of recording and playing back data in different formats. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-167515 discloses a hybrid disc having data recorded in different formats, i.e., CD and DVD formats and a playback apparatus therefor.
For example, when data sets corresponding to the same content to be recorded are generated in different formats, it is necessary to execute a plurality of recording processes in accordance with the respective formats. Disadvantageously, it takes much time to record the content.